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Stamford is the fourth largest city in Connecticut, located 30 miles north of Manhattan on Long Island Sound. Many residents commute to New York, New York, via regular Metro-North express trains. The Merritt Parkway and I-95 pass through, as do Amtrak trains, putting Washington, DC, and Boston, Massachusetts, within easy reach.Home to a number of major companies, including GE and UBS, Stamford has a busy, modern business district with all of the shops and restaurants you expect of a regional hub. There are colleges, too: UConn, Sacred Heart University and University of Bridgeport all have branches here. But there's also salt air and views of the sea. Beautiful Cummings Park and Cove Island Park have sandy beaches and waterfront walking trails.
Apartments for rent in Stamford span diverse neighborhoods, from Shippan Point, a friendly community on the Sound, to woodsy and rural North Stamford, which is filled with old Colonial homes, such as those in the Long Ridge historic district. There's the walkable downtown, around Bedford Street, and lively Springdale just beyond it, with modest wood-frame homes and small yards.
Renting in Stamford gives you a good base for exploring the northeast. Weekend getaway options abound. Within 50 miles is New York's Hudson River Valley, New Haven and rural northwest Connecticut. For mountainous scenery, the Catskills and Berkshires are about 100 miles away, while Vermont's Green Mountains are 200 miles from the city.
Stamford is sometimes viewed as the budget alternative to Greenwich, its affluent next-door neighbor. That can be true downtown, but other neighborhoods are plenty pricey. As with any city, conduct a thorough search. But move fast. Stamford's businesses and schools draw new residents at a fairly steady pace.
